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180 lots were distributed in Yo Creek Village, Orange Walk District, a project headed by Juan De Dios, UDP Standard Bearer for Orange Walk South. We caught up with the Minister of Agriculture and Natural Resources, who was in the Village of Yo Creek on Sunday to hand over lease certificates to the residents of the village.

Hon Gaspar Vega – Minister of Natural Resources and Agriculture

“The regular village lot is 75 feet frontage by a hundred feet long. I was very enthused by the way it was done. It is the first of its type in the north, where they did this distribution at the park, open doors, so everybody knew who were getting house lots. I asked Mr Juan De Dios why they did it like that, and he said because he wanted to ensure that it was done in a transparent manner, that only people from Yo Creek received lots. Because some time ago there was a small distribution where a lot of people who were not residents of Yo Creek had gotten the house lots.”

Recipients of the lots, via a special stipulation, will be eligible to own their property within a one year period and at a very cheap price.

Hon Gaspar Vega

“This present Government has made it possible for the less privileged people to be able to own their land, to get their title. All they need to pat is eight hundred dollars, instead of the three thousand five hundred [or] four thousand dollars that they used to charge in the past for these same house lots. Now it’s only eight hundred dollars, and there’s a payment plan also, where they can make payments towards the eight hundred dollars. We have also changed our position where the land has to be fully developed, in other words it has to have a structure for you to be able to get a title. Now we allow the people to get their title, so that with that empowerment they can go ahead and probably make a loan, [to build] their homes with that financing,”

Although the Minister concedes that the recipients’ political affiliation was taken into consideration, according to Minister Vega they gave more priority to the most needy families.

Hon Gaspar Vega

“[On] Sunday I saw some people who were not UDP. I think they make sure that the most needy people [benefit]. I mean to say, if you have a family with six boys or girls, who have already their family and living in the same house, you have to consider them, regardless of which party they belong to.”

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